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Going Where The Weather Suits My Snow: Yankee Springs
January 16, 2012 - Three of us went to Yankee Springs yesterday, Sunday, for *5 hours* of nonstop ski challenge, fun and scenery. Perfect packed powder conditions. ...It was *so nice* to feel real winter underfoot. It was cold (25F) and sunny all day. Blue skies and face tans.
That's the great thing about low-overhead events like the Potto Raid, or skiing "just pl... > Read Article
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From OYB: "Momentum" by Pete Vordenberg, Only $7! $7.00 (inc. S/H) Purchase |
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OYB News...and a Few Handy Items
World News, Stories & Links
What is OYB? --An HQ for Indie Outdoor Education
March 08, 2011 - OYB fans the indie outdoor flame. How can we do it? Mostly because 100% of the proceeds from your purchases goes to support the mission. What's the mission? It's two-pronged. Firstly, this website has 1500+ articles that show, from diverse angles, how the active indie world connects together, in so doing it also offers affordable advertising for indie businesses. Secondly, it's a catalog that make... > Read Article
OYB has an eBay Store!
March 07, 2011 - I've launched an eBay store for OYB.
I've had the Outyourbackdoor username there for a few years, which I've used to sell luggage, books, magazines and other goodies. Heck, Martha and I have been eBaying since it started and we together have 1000+ sales with a 100% rating since, like, 1994.
But I've ramped things up there, with over 100 items... > Read Article
Donate! Help the OYB cause...
March 06, 2011 - I've had several people recently ask how they can support the OYB cause. I've been relying on my offerings of great books'n'goodies that you can't hardly get anywhere else as being the best way. "Money for stuff" is the only way I can understand making a living.
But I can accept that OYB *stuff* isn't right for everyone. Also, I don't want to ... > Read Article
Forums
February 21, 2011 - We are currently in the process of finding a new secure forum system. Please check back later. > Read Article
Let's See Your Comments!
December 01, 2010 - Each of our OYB articles is now followed by a brand new, easy to use "Reader Comments" section, hosted by the 3rd party provider, Disqus. If you have a reaction to the story or had a similar experience or a tip to pass on, please do! (No more tricky registering via my Forum.)
The OYB Forum is probably disabled right now, but really you should fe... > Read Article
OYB Wall Calendars?
November 30, 2010 - What if each year I started offering Wall Calendars in the various main OYB themes?
That is, diverse, candid, indie presentations of...
*outdoor activities (w/ XC ski come winter!)
*DIY fun in Michigan
*bike culture
*traditional seasonal outdoor subsistence sport (hunt, fish, trap, bow, gun, dog, snare, atlatl, flint, osage, net)
*XC ski ... > Read Article
OYB 10---Print Window to Modern Folkways
September 02, 2010 - [$6 postpaid.] This biggest-ever issue of OYB is a great way to get a full-figured view of the OYB scene! (I thought I was out of stock, but I just found a couple dozen. What fun! First come, first served...)
The OYB "catazeen" has to be the only magazine of authentic, informal, do-it-yourself, indy adventure and outdoor culture. It also gives d... > More Info > Purchase
Should OYB & Company go Non-Profit?
April 23, 2010 - That's what I'm wondering. This is an educational cause, after all. Sure, I sell some things, but that's to support the Indie Outdoor culture and heritage outreach. I've always thought to just keep the whole thing simple, but maybe going Non-Profit would make the OYB mission clearer to the public. ? I've always thought that folks knew when they bou... > Read Article
The OYB "Dually": a Nukeproof Saddlebag/Pannier from Repurposed Mil-Spec
April 23, 2010 - [$39, mailed in the US.]
Check out this dual-purpose bag!
It's a big, tactical-tough bike saddlebag.
It's also a pannier!
(And if you add the $10 option, it's a Shoulderbag!)
And it's repurposed from a thrifty, brand-new MOLLE-type of mil-spec bag.
(You know I like the versatile stuff!)
Made of polyester cordura-type material... > More Info > Purchase
Hey! It's OYB's *20th ANNIVERSARY!*
February 10, 2010 - An OYB reader just emailed me today and said he was just reading the paperback compilation of Issues 1-8 and was amazed that I'd been publishing OYB since 1990. Well...I am, too! I hadn't even thought of it!
I kinda had 1991 in my brain for some reason, but I suppose Issue #1 says 1990 on it somewhere. So I guess I've been out and about promoti... > Read Article
New OYB Luggage Patch!
October 20, 2009 - UPDATE 10/09: Here's my new LEATHER luggage patch. The stamp is done, the die is on the way. Patches in 2 weeks!
The photo is what the stampmaker sent me, showing a sample stamped in a sheet of leather. It'll be die-cut into an oval then riveted to the luggage.
The design image shows the shape and rivet locations.
It'll also functio... > Read Article
90's Flashback: OYB Ezines (Issues 7, 8, 9)
June 26, 2009 - Here's a link to the old Homepage for the OYB Ezine.
It contains the stories that ran the print issues #7 & #8, circa 1996. Many of these are presented here and there on this new website but I think quite a few are missing as well.
http://outyourbackdoor.com/OYB8/contentsnew.htm
The above Contents page misses a fair amount of the nifty con... > Read Article
OYB has 1500+ Stories! --HEY!
June 23, 2009 - According to my stats, a couple weeks ago OYB sailed past the FIFTEEN HUNDRED stories/links/blurbs mark!
And, hey, I just checked the date of my first article posted to this particular incarnation of my website and it was in 2000. But this count only dates back to the start of my database-based website. OYB has been rockin' as a website since 1... > Read Article
$5 each! Huge Sale on Fifthway Books!
May 09, 2009 - $5 each for any Fifthway Press book by Ron Puhek!
We'll do what it takes to get folks to give these provocative titles a try.
FWIW, the date of this sale article is 2009, but it's actually 5/2010 when I'm launching this new price-point.
> Read Article
Hanging out the How-to Shingle!
December 03, 2008 - If anyone relatively near Williamston would like to learn how to have more fun---no matter what their current level---with XC skis, bikes, canoes, kayaks (rolling!), inline skates or the shooting sports, lemme know! I bet I could help give some uplift. In short order. For cheap. $20/hour, say. Kids, too.
I'm hanging up my shingle! > Read Article
Free Sample OYB!
September 07, 2008 - OK, just to show you that the web isn't everything and that PAPER rocks, too, I'm offering a FREE SAMPLE issue of OYB to anyone who ... is willing to pay the postage.
Just click the PayPal order button and it'll only bill you $2 which covers most of the postage.
The freebie is big, tasty issue #8.
All my back issues are still available. ... > More Info > Purchase
The OYB Gift Shop!
December 29, 2006 - Chock full of goodies in fresh demographic styles. Check
it out! My favorite is the khaki hat with the "skate style" green'n'blue logo. Next would be the shoulderbag. These are great items! All items priced at cost. How many corporate iden... > Read Article
OYB Anthology! ---Indy action galore
July 16, 2005 - [$15. $5 off $20 retail!] I've been pushing the OYB Anthology on the back-issues page but really it deserves its own attention. Darn, this thing is full of amazing stories and artwork. It's the first 8 issues of OYB bound together as a nice perfectbound paperback 8.5x11" book. 200+ pages. I'll see if I can find an index to the stories in it.... > More Info > Purchase
OYB Back Issues: New to You!
July 10, 2005 - Back issues are available here on this page cheap! --- $2 to $5 ea (postpaid), depending on weight. Scroll down to see quicky-indexes below. Paper issues have tons of stories not at this website. (And verse vicea.) I must say, these are amazing zines. I had wonderful layout and editorial help over the years. To show what I mean, I scanned th... > Read Article
Martha launches LazyGal!
March 06, 2005 - Martha's gift item studio is now a
full-service website full of pillows, blankets, scarves, dresses, with dealers and shows coming up and creativity bursting out every which way. She had a huge Chicago art fest success this summer and is having a blast. She even hosted a quilt retreat up north for the ladies (wit... > Read Article
Little Miss Lucy!
November 06, 2004 - Henry isn't the only pintsized artist around here. Lucy (4) is into DIY song and dance (with a foghorn voice and fiery temper). She's also sprung a few graphics surprises on us. She signs her name several cool ways. We find scary smiley faces around the house. And... > Read Article
Jeff's Dreams
October 08, 2004 - Probably most folks think that other people's dreams is dumb. But ya never know. In case there are dream buffs here, here are some of my typical dreams.
I recently had a doozy. It was too beautiful. Here goes: I'd found several areas in the total wasteland of a suburb that I now live in where people lived as actual humans. There was a scene with... > Read Article
Homebrew vs. Hightech, The Training Plan Duel!
September 05, 2004 - Mike Muha is a local friend and ski racer. He runs a super XC ski racing website. We have agreed to take up the challenge of the Dueling Training Plans. He's using a fancy-schmancy coach and eensy-weensy-details training plan to reach his goal of improving his ski race results. I'm using willynilly Backyard Methods of reach my goal of losing 10 pou... > Read Article
Henry's Spark, a Kick-scooter for Snow
February 05, 2004 - So I made time the other day to whip together a Xmas present for the kiddies. A Norwegian "spark" or kickscooter for use on snow and ice. I've seen quite a few drawings of them in things like the "Boy's Handy Book." And thanks to Dave Dermott on the XC ski Usenet newsgroup, I've discovered that there's a whole world of sparks out there, including m... > Read Article
OYB Hits the Big League
February 05, 2004 - Over the next year or so, I'm gonna make zining into my new *anti*dayjob!!!!
I have a very rare chance to give it a shot. I've sold off most of my worldly assets and greatly simplified life's undertakings, plus I've basically sold my job. It's my first big work change in 15 years!
If you know of anyone else who is pulling off a stunt like t... > Read Article
The Myth of the Natural
February 05, 2004 - It's amazing how people think you don't have to know how to do something to be able to do it. --At a somewhat high level, one that is satisfying anyway.
I'm thinking of sports. But it seems to relate to education in general. The myth of the natural---someone who can be an expert in something without practice, coaching or training---puts down edu... > Read Article
Postscript: Bluegrass Serendipity Up North
February 05, 2004 - An interesting postscript to our trip down south, where we got to meet Balder Saunders, is that a couple weeks after we got home, I got an email from Jack saying that his other boy, Owen, would be here in Detroit playing bluegrass the next day.
I'd never met Owen, but I'd read about him in Jack's novels, just as I'd read about Balder. I read as ... > Read Article
Our Down South Drive in 2003
February 05, 2004 - Well, I've been meaning to write this up for awhile now. I better do it while it's still fresh.
I learned several interesting new things on this trip and met some amazing people and did a few nifty things, so here we go....
It's been several years since we went on a big roadtrip drive exploring new territory. It's been 4 years since we vi... > Read Article
A Rant on Zines ... at the Big U
February 05, 2004 - I just got to give a speech all about zines and print media and how the Net has impacted them at MSU today for 300 kids in a class at the Journalism Dept! I haven't talked in public in 10 years, and never to a big auditorium, like, with a mic. An MSU professor heard that I did both books and websites and asked if I would give a talk. Since I wasn't... > Read Article
Our Out-West In-Laws RV Road Trip Report
January 05, 2000 - Well, I'm back. We survived our 4200-mi road trip in our
little RV. Me, my family and the in-laws! How bout that!
We went from Mich > Ariz and back by way of Boulder, Colo,
my old stomping grounds. I rode my bike every day after
our driving. What a great way to explore and get fresh air.
So here's the report: the US has become Bangla... > Read Article
Best Ski Culture DVD Ever! -- "The Cross Country Experience -- Bill Koch"
January 27, 2012 - I can't believe I haven't had any mention of this wonderful, potentially life-changing movie until now. Actually, I did post about it -- in a Comment to a Sled story years ago. Ha! Hardly the prominence it deserves! I should rep this flick. I'm its biggest fan. Well, until YOU watch it, that is! The fans of this flick stack up pretty deep over the ... > Read
Article
Crashing? Less Fun? --Check Your Binding!
January 25, 2012 - My skis have been throwing me more and more. I was wondering what was the matter. I have an idea -- they're kinda soft in the tails and that's a bit of a problem. But it turns out there's something else that was also a really big snag.
I've been using Automatic NNN bindings more often lately. Why not, right?
Well, I suddenly noticed that they... > Read
Article
Potto Raid 2012 Report & Pics
January 24, 2012 - The 7th Annual Potto Raid resulted in a broken ski and some bumps'n'bruises, but it's still the funnest, most challenging and most scenic XC ski race that nobody knows about.
It also has the best prizes to fees ratio. Well, it's unbeatable there since the fee is zero, but the prizes are just plain dandy: Quality microbrew sixers! ...And various... > Read
Article
XC Trail Skiing Armor and Protection?
January 23, 2012 - My pals and I ski mostly ungroomed trails and look for challenges there. So our needs are different from groomer-skiers. Our needs overlap a fair bit with tele skiers.
The topic of protection/armor comes up now and then. Skill makes it mostly unneeded, but everyone crashes, so we're thinking about it more. --For ourselves as we age, and for othe... > Read
Article
Singletrack Fever: Skills to Return to our Roots
January 22, 2012 - [NOW WITH PICS! 1/23/12] Here's a story of mine that "Silent Sports" ran last winter. It's a doozy! With lots of pics. Here's a link to the story on their website (http://www.silentsports.net/crosscountryskiing/117241278.html), but there aren't any pics. I'll run the pics after the text.
Singletrack Fever: Skills to Return to our Roots
... > Read
Article
The Skidaddle: a "Must-have" New Trail-Skiing Technique
January 21, 2012 - It's common when skiing hiking trails to encounter eroded uphills with obstacles where the stride and herringbone aren't the only tools you need. You need a special new trick that's not mentioned or taught anywhere but here. (Dang! Where do we keep coming up with these finds? Why, the Real World, and nowhere else!)
You need a compact side scampe... > Read
Article
Get Cold to Stay Warm
January 20, 2012 - How to stay warm this time of year? It can be tough. But there seems to be a knack to it. The main feature of the knack, as far as I've learned it, is that the first 15 minutes can be real cold and painful ... and that's OK. The key being: don't give up! Don't think "I'm not cut out for this," or that you're dressed wrong.
If you're dressed rig... > Read
Article
America's Cup is to Sailing as Skate Ski Racing is to Skiing...
January 17, 2012 - I just saw a video about the America's Cup. I hadn't heard tell of it in decades. Didja know it's all about catamarans these days? They don't have sails, they have carbon wings. They go 40mph and are staffed with about a dozen body-builders who are all wired into the craft. There's not much boat there. All the cats look about the same. It seems lik... > Read
Article
Open Letter to Backcountry Magazine
January 17, 2012 - I just saw an old post on the "Fun til Death" blog (http://funtildeath.blogspot.com -- great bumpersticker) that caught my fancy. --Among all the posts that also caught my fancy. (Fun blog!)
He's a Kalamazoo guy who loves outdoor fun.
He wrote to the editor of "Backcountry" magazine asking that they include the Midwest in their coverage since... > Read
Article
Heikki Lunta! Heikki Lunta! --Make it snow, make it snow!
January 11, 2012 - OK, this is getting silly. But it's all going to change tomorrow. Right? Right!!! It's time to pull out all the stops!
What we need to make it a sure thing is for everybody to do the Heikki Lunta dance and to sing the song.
The Heikki Lunta story is a great one that everybody should know.
...How the poor Yooper Heikki Lunta danced and sang... > Read
Article
Thrifty Rackless Bike Luggage from Military Surplus!
January 09, 2012 - So didja know that a dozen different new and old-style military bags make great bike bags?
Here's a big report on what I've discovered along these lines... (If you know a magazine that would like to publish it, lemme know! I've tried a bunch. No bites. Seems like a cool, original topic to me, though. You know, none else like it.)
First, as y... > Read
Article
Standup Canoeing and Poling: a New Kind of SUP
January 09, 2012 - Here's all the idea of the various scattered SUC and Poling pieces wrapped into one. It's the text from a story of mine that "Silent Sports" ran this November... It's a nice summary of the "Everyman" variations on SUP that I'm promoting...
Here's a link to the story on their website: http://www.silentsports.net/paddling/standup-canoeing-13299022... > Read
Article
Dune Skiing Lake Michigan...
January 08, 2012 - Here's a little local thin-snow ski inspiration. I saw it on the "Fun 'til Death" Michigan outdoor blog at http://funtildeath.blogspot.com, who in turn found it at TelemarkTips.com.
It's a short video of skiing down the dunes at Benzie County, Lake Michigan...
Tactical Duty Pack
January 02, 2012 - [$50 mailed in the US. (Non-US costs extra postage.)]
This is a medium rucksack with a lot of mil-spec tech-pack bells'n'whistles. Its best special feature, I think, are the sizable pouches on the waistbelt. I really need to have access to a few goodies while I'm under way -- like: digicam, map, snacks.
Details: Constructed of rugged ... > More Info
> Purchase
Jumbo Modular Fanny Pack
January 02, 2012 - [$40 mailed in the US. Non-US extra.]
This is a big super-versatile fanny pack. You could easily carry 10 pounds of gear in it for an all-day hike, say. Spare clothes, lunch, some gear. Carry a bladderbag above it for yer water.
It also attaches to the back of either Modular Field Pack, which is neat.
Details: Constructed of rugged tactic... > More Info
> Purchase
Mike's Cool Vintage Bag
December 30, 2011 - Pal Mike has a neat old leather shoulderbag with an attached mesh bag. I wonder what it really is... Is there fishing involved? > Read
Article
All Hail the Deux Chevaux! Econo-Car Supreme!
December 27, 2011 - Are we ever going to see another thrifty, sippy, easy to work on, supergroovy car?
I hope so!
The Citroen 2CV used to satisfy all those demands. It would get 45mpg with one of its two cylinders tied behind its back. Today car makers strain to deliver 40mpg...and superhighhorsepower...and unrepairable sexiness.
Well, simple is often sexy.
... > Read
Article
Best Way to Regain Lost Legs?
December 26, 2011 - OK, it's been a couple months since I did much riding. And for the past year I've ridden half of what I did the previous year. And the previous year was a fairly low point itself for mileage and effort because just a couple years earlier I had ridden a couple times a week with both kids in a trailer, in addition to weekly club rides. And those trai... > Read
Article
Favorite Puzzle Ever: Folk Dance
December 23, 2011 - I just had a big holiday puzzle-making thrill. ...My favorite puzzle ever!
What made this puzzle special?
Well, it's based on a wonderful painting of a rural folk dance scene, in the Thomas Hart Benton style, I'd call it. A lot of action, people and color.
I really like how the people are actually doing a real dance of some kind. It's not ... > Read
Article
What's in a Name? --"Trail" or "Adventure" Skiing?
December 22, 2011 - I've been thinking that to give XC skiing a shot in the arm, a jumpstart, that it needs to be busted open, wide open. But how? And what do I mean, anyway?
Right now, nearly all XC skiing is considered to be done on wide, groomed trails. And ski-skating has the reputation for being the fast'n'fun side of XC.
That's cool except for the fact th... > Read
Article
Carolyn Chute & No-Wing Militia
December 17, 2011 - Carolyn Chute is peeking out of the forest. Probably because her huge new book just came out. (She says the manuscript was 2600 pages.) Here are links to stories from the reporters she let in the house and yard. They have different angles and all are worth reading.
Catch that her hubby is illiterate. Whoa, is right!
In the "Time" story noti... > Read
Article
Our National Music? Song? Dance?
December 14, 2011 - What's a good national song and dance? ...I watched "Long Way Round" the other day, about the two movie stars riding their enduro motorcycles around the world. Good buddy flick.
As they visited countries the locals would show them hospitality and, in the case of the Ukraine in particular, during the resulting party their hosts would sing them so... > Read
Article
We Like Nite Bike Ride
December 12, 2011 - [UPDATE from 11/24/11. I finally made a picture of a memorable scene I saw when I looked back down the trail during our night ride. Nobody had a camera, so I had to make an oldschool to provide some art.]
We've been having a local neighborhood Tuesday Nite mtbike trail ride this fall. But last night I wandered an hour away and hooked up with a ... > Read
Article
It's That Time of Year! --XC Ski Lessons! Sweet Ski Videos!
December 11, 2011 - Hey, if anyone wants to learn how to XC ski better, I'm for hire! : ) $20 for an hour lesson. Fixes are easy and will typically hugely improve skills for fun, racing, touring. Ditch the floundering and strain -- if you're not easily gliding *up* the hills, you need a lesson. A fun and super-helpful extra thing we could do is to videotape you skii... > Read
Article
The Michigan Bush Rats: Many Annual Winter Trips to the Bush
December 11, 2011 - Have you heard of them before? I hadn't. I'm glad Bob Yankus mentioned them to me in an email.
They're the Michigan Bush Rats and they run MiBSAR trips into the wintery woods north of the Soo about 15-20 times a winter, I hear.
This is the real rough stuff. They're getting ready and staying ready to go out and help find someone who's lost. "... > Read
Article | Go to Website
2012 Michigan Backcountry Ski Series
December 08, 2011 - Here's the schedule for this season's Big 3 homestyle DIY self-supported super-fun no-fee no-rules non-event ski outings!
I daresay you couldn't have any more fun (or challenge) in the snow and not explode. Our dates always luck out with great conditions. So come ride the wave! You won't want to miss the apres' action, either. Bring good snacks ... > Read
Article
Quite a Bunch of Dudes
December 08, 2011 - Thanks, Chris B, for putting me onto this!
It's an article about a new TV series.
"Garden&Gun" --ha! What a mag/site title!
Well, this here's a story about a great group of dudes. Dang, I like great gangs. Of course, they're rich folks who party together, but I won't begrudge 'em. Good groups come in all flavors. Color isn't only determi... > Read
Article | Go to Website
OYB Customer: Uses OYB Pannier Creatively on a Nice Bike
December 08, 2011 - Here are a few pics of nifty ways to mount the OYB Classy Retro Pannier, courtesy of customer Paul Carlberg of Grand Rapids, MI.
If you want to do this with a pannier, let me know when you order and I'll install the clips appropriately. Or, you can request strap-slots instead which come with 3 leather straps for a more common way of installing a... > Read
Article
Ski What Ya Ride!
December 07, 2011 - "Ski what ya ride!" Break the addiction to grooming and free yourself on sustainable zero-impact singletrack skiing. Trail skiing is the mtbiking of XC ski. Groomers are for roadies. There's a place for both, but the hitch/opportunity is that most "real" XC skiers today are stuck on "road." But there are 10X as many trails out there as groomed area... > Read
Article
Lucius Beebe: Foppishly Refined Foodie
November 25, 2011 - Anyone know who Lucius Beebe was? My uncle Kent mentioned him so I looked him up. He was considered the best-dressed man back in the 30's-40's. He was a sassy dapper dan, a top food and culture writer, with several long-lasting columns spanning decades in newspapers and magazines like Gourmet. As a young newsreporter he would cover fires in formal ... > Read
Article | Go to Website
Secret Wild Food Feasts in San Fran... Do it here?
November 23, 2011 - Here's an LA Times story about a WILD FOOD DINNER that you don't find out about until the day of when you're emailed the address. They serve foraged food and wild-game, too. Something sounds cool about this. Maybe it's a way to avoid the overhead of a restaurant...and inspectors? But how to avoid a snitch...
Is it possible to do out in the 'bur... > Read
Article | Go to Website
What I Learned on My Vacation: JP's Visit to Cali, 2011
November 20, 2011 - "Now, ya listen to a story about a dude named Jeff, got a phone call and left his family there. Then one day he was shootin' at some food..." Oh, forget it. I don't shoot my food, I pick it up off the road.
So, my uncle Kent in Hollywood had extra miles on his card and doesn't fly anymore so he invited us to come out to visit, since they're not ... > Read
Article
Adventure Prize Candidate Promotes "Microadventures"
November 19, 2011 - National Geographic has an annual "adventurer of the year" people's choice award. This year includes a guy who is, I gather, a bigtime adventurer, only he recently stopped spending all that money jetsetting around the globe to scare himself and instead explored around his home town -- and had a great time doing it. So he then started promoting the ... > Read
Article | Go to Website
Bike/Action Lights Set-up & Tips
November 16, 2011 - Here's the bike light combo I've been using for a few years: *Headlamp; *Sticklight, floody-type, with bar-mount; *Red blinky tail-light; *Big ol' Spotlight.
My set-up seems pretty good to me. Of course, I really do need a Spot-type sticklight, but whatever, I've been making-do with the Big Ol' Yeller.
I use these lights for every other purp... > Read
Article | Go to Website
Link to the ULA Website: the Original "Occupy" Protest!
November 02, 2011 - The ULA never camped out in front of a city hall...because we were too poor to do so. We had jobs.
But we DID doggedly protest elitist 1%-ers in in the literary world -- who were actively preventing relevant art for the 99%.
Underground Literary Alliance heroes like Karl "King" Wenclas stood out in the cold with placards wondering why folk wr... > Read
Article | Go to Website
JP's 50th B-day & Halloween Shindig
November 01, 2011 - It started out as a small mtbike ride. (Including 2 MB1s & an MBZip!)
With a bonfire, guitars, and potluck.
But it grew into a feast with: smoked venison, roasted venison, squirrel stew, grouse, pickled pike, fried green tomatos, two kinds of homebrew from our yard hops, yard raspberry trifle (with double-boiler sabayon and homemade lady"mi... > Read
Article | Go to Website
Great Lakes Waves *Rocked* Last Weekend!
October 18, 2011 - Didja see the big news about the Great Lakes waves last weekend? Oct. 15-16, 2011. They were HUGE.
Check out the "wolf map" for the weekend. (I love the map of Lake Superior. It looks like a wicked wolf, don't it? Mischievous.) Notice the 25+ foot waves in the SE corner? Whoa! I would LOVE to see some freighter pics or vids from that day. Think... > Read
Article
More Mini-Motos...
October 18, 2011 - Motorcycles don't have to be monstrous to be cool. Do they.
Here are pics and links to a bunch of motos that have small engines and lightweight components. Many have pedals.
You know I'm down with this kind of moto, having posted about it many other times before. Small, cheap, speedy -- far range, superhigh gas mileage, stylish. What's not to... > Read
Article
Salon and I rant about the Avoidance of Culture
October 14, 2011 - After reading the following Salon post, I continue to be intrigued by the dominance these days of art which seems proud of having no content. The stifling cool of irony keeps clinging. Clever style, atmosphere and pose STILL seem to be the main values. What's there to actually INSPIRE anyone? I feel sorry for kids today. Kids need art. The pop song... > Read
Article
Global is Local: Bringing the Wars Home
October 12, 2011 - I usually only cover local topics here and basically only have a local knowledge of what's going on, partial at that.
But I'm curious about the wars. It seems like they're the biggest deal in our lives since Vietnam. It's hard to imagine that the combination of their cost and the cost of homeland security aren't what's really behind most of our ... > Read
Article
Motorized Bicycles: a Big Scene!
October 05, 2011 - I've long thought that more could be done with bikes and little motors than the standard scooters and mopeds I've seen around. Actually, I haven't seen many mopeds. ...Saw one at a museum the other day -- a neat black 1960's-type item with the motor over the front wheel. I remember those! Seemed like a great idea. Our neighbor had one. I haven't se... > Read
Article
Original RAAM Racers Reunite for Big Race! 10/7
October 03, 2011 - The four founding fathers of ultra cycling are getting together for yet another big race! It'll be their first together in a long time, I bet.
Lon Haldeman, John Howard, Michael Shermer, and John Marino did the first race across America in 1982. And these dudes have been active cyclists ever since.
Chris Kostman set up the reunion to happen... > Read
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Top Indie Heroes?
October 01, 2011 - Martha and I were googling around (oooh!) and found many lists of Top 100 Americans or Top 25 Most Influential People, but no lists of Top Indie Heroes.
I thought if there were such lists they'd be mostly indie music band people or comics characters, and there are a couple lists that come close to that.
But, really, there are no lists of in... > Read
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Hard chargin' vacation report, just in...
September 30, 2011 - How many do you know who on their day off would: jump up, drive 4 hrs, bike 4 hrs technical trail along river, bike shuttle dirt road back to canoe, canoe 4 hrs down river, go fetch bike, drive 4 hrs home. I guess I only know two who would, coz 2 just did! As for me, I'd be a bit tuckered after such a bout of 16 hrs of nonstop action. But I guess t... > Read
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Mtbike Session Tasting
September 27, 2011 - Here's a highlight of a recent mtbike outing. Captures it just right! It was a bit like skiing wild trees in powder, somehow. There's really not a trail there. It's not all about hardpack. Afterward, we had BBQ and guitars. Lucky us! A multidimensional outing is tops, I think. Although there's also a place for purity and focus. > Read
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Wild Food...
September 22, 2011 - I have a hard time passing up things like... A local old guy who was a major vintner died. Now I see his old overgrown, weedy vines along the road -- chock full of ripe grapes now. Makes me wanna pick 'em SO BAD. They go to waste each year now, I'm pretty sure.
I'm the same about roadside apple trees: all those apples, I want 'em for cider.
... > Read
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Inspiration
September 18, 2011 - Fashion plates. Caravan lovers. Automotive enthusiasts. Hearty cudgelists. Strolling tea-drinkers. Messers about in boats. > Read
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Bike Thrill! ...Bike dudes on tour!
September 10, 2011 - I just had my bike thrill of the summer! We were driving to visit the inlaws in Battle Creek -- from one desert of bike culture to another -- when we came around a bend and I saw a posse of bikes ahead. As I got nearer I became confused. My first thought was "Non-English speaking."
The inputs were frying my circuitry: *they all had bundles of l... > Read
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Happy 40-Year Run, Jack!
August 31, 2011 - It's Jack Saunders' birthday today. He's 70-something.
He's been writing books for 40 years, pitching them to NYC agents and presses high and low the whole time. Entering them for grants and contests. All rejected!
Yet he's stayed hopeful and dynamic the whole time.
Amazing!
What's more the book total count is ... drum-roll ... 424!
... > Read
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Community Development ...the CVS, RiteAid, Walgreens Way
August 25, 2011 - I'm just about fed up with what's happening to our town.
(Ha. Understatement.)
We've had a fair bit of new construction lately. --It has all been teardowns followed by new RiteAids, Walgreens and CVS's. Sometimes within a half mile of each other. A quarter mile. We now probably have a dozen pharmacies within a mile. Other franchises have rece... > Read
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DALMAC! --Best cheap vacation!
August 22, 2011 - So it's a bad economy and nobody has money, they say. (Except the 1%-ers.) Here's a getaway that's light on the wallet. 5 days with food/tent-space for $240. (4-day and other routes, too.) Aug 31 - Sept 4. You can still sign up, it looks like! If you've been riding and are in shape, hey, check it out! > Read
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What Do Kids Need, Anyway?
August 19, 2011 - To me, what kids mainly need is activity, learning and quiet reflection.
(I suppose my list refers to the "content" side -- of course they need parents, etc., too.)
The outdoors is the world, and so kids need to explore it and learn it to make it theirs -- but the indoors is the same. The reason why they need to know it is so they can know t... > Read
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How to Revive the Sandlot? --Bribery!
August 19, 2011 - Unstructured quality play is missing from kids lives today. As is unsegregated socializing -- that is, playing with neighborhood kids, those who are accidentally around us, not hand-picked.
How to change this and get the kids actively mashed together again?
Pay 'em!
(It'll still be a lot cheaper than paying for any organized activity, that... > Read
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Life on the Farm?
August 18, 2011 - How much life is found around maximumly productive farms? (Not the hobby-type, I mean, the "feed the world" kind. The global need for high productivity does seem to put a question-mark on the local-organic approach, despite its advantages. If anyone has feedback to the contrary, lemme know!)
In our little organic garden it's amazing how many bug... > Read
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Arc of the Parks Bike Tour?
August 17, 2011 - [bump from May] What about a "Arc of Parks Tour" big day for SE Michigan? There's a string of parks that runs 70 miles from Chelsea to Holly. I haven't been to even half of them, but I'd like to visit them all. Why not do it in a day? (Or an overnighter.)
UPDATE: Maybe this would be a great autumn tour idea?
It looks like these parks could qu... > Read
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Goal: Free Time on a Working Vacation
August 15, 2011 - Upon reflection, an interesting angle of our up north working vacation is: only two times were we able to have a quiet hour with the kids.
We all did a drawing once and then we all sat down and showed the kids how to play Euchre.
So where does the time go with a month up north at the beaches? Is it moving the trailer 5 times? All the art-bo... > Read
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50 Velomobiles Touring the USA
August 12, 2011 - 50 velomobiles are presently on tour across the USA. Many are from Europe. They're in the Midwest right now. See their route map on their website and go check 'em out if you're in the area! > Read
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"Our culture has it backwards. We refuse to accept mental suffering or think there's anything helpful about it and so we drug it away. But we embrace the suffering of working your way up the illusory ladder of success. Any amount of suffering there is acceptable. We praise the suffering society lures us
into to exploit us while we reject the ego-suffering everyone has to go through to really live."
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